east tx skier

I'm sure performance will be great. I love my little VW 2.0T. As far as the comparison I made how accurate it is will likely depend what the environmental requirements are/will be of marine industry as far as burning off initially uncombusted fuel by rerouting exhaust gases through the intake manifold. Without some sort of fuel squirt north of the intake valves, buildup can get nasty in a relatively short period of time.

Congratulations. My 9 year old got up for the first time a week ago (behind an old fishing boat on an old ski). This past weekend, I got the ski I picked up for him two years ago, and we hit the mini course. We have created a monster!

@eddie_roberts_jr Thanks, Eddie.

@jackski Is the catch can only doing oil vapor cleanup or is it in the rerouted exhaust loop as well? The VW guys with the catch cans aren't seeing much improvement.

BUMP. Price drop and free shipping to the lower 48. Link to Horton's review of the 2012 Radar Vice.

@Jody_Seal My experience with this is limited to my VW, but what causes the problem is the rerouting of exhaust gases into the intake to burn of any previously unburned fuel as well as crankcase ventilation to the intake manifold. Unlike a MPI engine, there is no fuel injection in the intake ahead of the intake valves. So there is no fuel at all (cheap or otherwise) to act as a solvent to clean the tops of the intake valves. Toyota and now, VW, have started adding a superfluous injector in the intake manifold that squirts fuel into the mix every so often to keep the intake valves clean. So what I think it boils down to is what the requirements are in the marine industry for rerouting exhaust gases and crankcase ventilation to the intake. If it is the same as automotive, save for an injector in the intake manifold, there will be issues. On VWs, this can get bad by 50K miles. And the proverbial "Italian Tune Up" doesn't seem to bring enough heat into the equation to do much about it. The fix is removing the intake manifold and going after the carbon deposits with a pick and some solvent or, alternatively, walnut blasting. Both run about $700--$800. I have a solvent I spray through my intake (carefully avoiding the MAF) about once per year. My head group was replaced under warranty for unrelated reasons and along with it, I got new intake valves. So I won't know if my spray solution had any effect for another 10K miles or so.

I'll ask again, is the likelihood of carbon buildup on the intake valves in DI engines a concern? Or are boats subject to a little less restriction on rerouting of exhaust gases to burn unburned fuel and crankcase ventilation through the intake manifold, thereby making carbon cleaning a less frequent task?

Seat heaters are cheaper and don't spray all over your feet every few years. Not that I'd know. I don't have either. It's too hot in Texas for heaters most of the time. But if I needed heat, I'd skip the thing that is guaranteed to fail in a matter of years.

@Jody_Seal Will they be putting a superfluous injector in the intake manifold to help keep the intake valves clean. Or will owners have to pull everything apart every few years to clean the carbon deposits off the intake valves or shell out (no pun intended) big bucks to have them walnut blasted or have a tech go after them with a dental pick)? /vw owner. :worried:

I still have a good pair of Attacks. Hoping to get another year out of them.

@Jody_Seal And make sure to thank her for the set afterward. That goes a long way around here (particularly if I got caught with a frustrated look on my face at any point during the set, which, of course, had nothing to do with the driver).

Overton's started using their own name on some gloves a few years ago, but has apparently stopped again. I still think these are fairly good bang for the buck, particularly with palm pads under them. I have tried more expensive gloves, but keep coming back to these. http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Gladiator-Pro-Skins-Full-Finger-Waterski-Glove&i=715558

Fewer than 20 sets on this ski. Excellent shape save for some typical marks from the bindings. Fantastic ski (same shape as the Strada) and very forgiving, but I am fickle and have decided to try something different. http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer&topic=Search&category=Slalom&postid=32515

@ozski It may be a better mousetrap for newer boats, but for those of us who are happiest with well running older boats, it is not an option. Apart from the issue mentioned here, which was solved with the first update to the software in 2009 or so, my PPSG system has been extremely reliable and accurate in the course with very little of my having to dither in the settings. I don't ski or drive tournaments. But that's a very small segment of the world, which, I will concede, has moved on. Thankfully, Perfect Pass continues to provide exceptional customer service internationally. I'm not sure how much Zero Off/Econtrols has improved in that respect.

Tough crowd. One of two MasterCrafts I would buy if I were in the market are the 25th Limited or a 1993 Stars & Stripes (red with LT1 and powerslot only). Both are pretty rare boats to find for sale thee days (the latter, particularly in the configuration I would want). Dave's is well cared for. Yes, it will have to be someone who is looking for that boat and not a boat. But the fact of the matter is that there is a market for that boat and if I had to guess, I'd say it will be gone within a month for somewhere in the neighborhood of what he's asking. And even if it's a high price, sellers don't get to start low and go high on price. So more power to ya, Dave.

Knowing what version of the software will be a big help. On the earliest version of the SG software, if you didn't disengage the system in a turn, it would accelerate hard and take a while to recover. The current second generation of SG software fixed this. The current generation (ever since about v.8). locks in pretty quickly. Upgrades are easy. But if you are running an early version of SG, you may need to upgrade the master module if you want to get a Zbox.

Thanks Andre. I am now the former president of the Tyler Ski Club as of May 1. But please PM me and I will tell you all about it and put you in touch with the right people.

After considering everything else, consider which brand has the best dealer support closest to you. When something goes wrong, that may make you happier than some of the small things that cause us to believe one boat is better than another.

Rod, group 65 or group 34 should fit. I'm on about year 5 or 6 with my Delco automotive battery. I spend a fair amount of time on open water. It has lasted a lot longer than my last marine battery. Anecdotal evidence to be sure. But when this one goes, I'll buy another one just like it.

@jhughes Thanks, Joel. We're hoping to get it on the water a few more times this year.

Another plug for Brent at Coversports. Works well on the highway. I have towed through a monsoon with it on and the boat remained bone dry and as scratch free as before.

Back before one of our neighbors built a contraption that literally ripped vegetation out of the water and put it on a barge, I used to spend a fair amount of time with an aquatic rake clearing lily pads out of the course. No fun at all.

Tide Detergent with no bleach and warm water in a bucket. Get a good soft bristle brush and go to town on the carpet bit by bit. When you're done, take the boat to the hand wand car wash and without much squeeze on the wand, rinse the carpet and wash the soapy water into the bilge. Use a shop vac to remove the excess and leave in the sun to dry. When you're done, you can spray a mixture of Downy fabric softener and water onto the carpet. I have heard one person who swears this will fluff up the nap in the carpet. Never did much to my 98, but I may have not been liberal enough with the Downy. Either way, it will smell nice.

They are great. Fun to talk to the "old grumpy guy" on occasion.

First Ski Nautique I almost bought when I started looking was a 99 with a 502 Python in it. Boat was all white with red pinstriping. Real looker.